The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU), in collaboration with partners from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, and with the support of the Visegrad Fund, is launching a large-scale international project: “Shifting Towards Ecotourism in Protected Areas through Heritage Interpretation”.
This project aims to develop innovative approaches to the promotion of ecotourism and effective management of protected areas in the Ukrainian Carpathians. By combining international experience with local initiatives, the project will contribute to the sustainable development of the region, biodiversity conservation, and active youth engagement in environmental protection.
From Learning to Real Change
Between February and December 2025 senior university students from Ukraine and the Visegrad Group countries will participate in four project phases:
- Theoretical Training: Lectures delivered by leading experts from the Czech Institute of National Heritage and the International Carpathian School. Participants will study modern approaches to ecotourism and resource conservation.
- Practical Experience: Educational tours to national parks in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary to learn about European practices in heritage interpretation.
- Student Project Competition: Students will develop their own initiatives to improve the management of Ukraine’s national parks. Winners will receive funding to implement their ideas in the national parks “Hutsulshchyna,” “Vyzhnytskyi,” “Carpathian,” and “Verkhovynskyi.”
- Project Outcomes: All materials and developments will be made available on the Educational Hub, an online platform of the International Carpathian School. This hub will serve as a knowledge exchange platform, featuring modern research, best practices, lectures, and materials created within the project. Additionally, a Collection of student projects, research findings, and practical recommendations for ecotourism development and effective management of protected areas will be published.
Why Is This Important?
The Ukrainian Carpathians are a unique region with enormous natural and cultural potential. However, challenges caused by war, ecological issues, and insufficient tourism development demand innovative solutions.
The project will:
- Introduce best practices in ecotourism and nature conservation.
- Train a new generation of experts in managing protected areas.
- Contribute to regional recovery through the development of environmentally safe tourism.
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“This project is more than just education. It is a real contribution to preserving the Carpathians and fostering sustainable tourism. We believe that youth will become the driving force of positive change in the region,” — NECU representatives.
Contact Information
National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU)
📧 Email: info@necu.org.ua
🌐 Website: necu.org.ua
📄 Project page: https://necu.org.ua/proyekty/heritagev4ua/en/
The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund.
The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.